amidst the chaos of the coronavirus, i saw this beautiful post:
china sent medical masks to italy with the roman poem: "we are waves from the same sea". japan sent supplies to china with the chinese poem: "we have different mountains & rivers, but we are under the same sun, moon & sky".
humans have a tendency to unite during times of crisis. it's written into the fabric of our DNA in order to continue our species. although it's from an ancient place of survival, when we do it, there is so much beauty. humans are spectacular like that.
yes, this pandemic has caused fear, confusion, and true threats of danger. but i think it has something to teach us. how fragile our well constructed systems of being are that a teensy virus particle, about one-millionth of an inch, can entirely change our values, our priorities, our views on being, our daily lives.
for so long, we have placed our entire weight on things that a single viral particle has completely destroyed the illusion of. suddenly, it doesn't matter if you're an instagram influencer or a CEO or an addict or unsure of your next life move. overnight, it doesn't matter what our political opinions are or who thinks they own what land or who you love. we're suddenly all in the same boat: lady corona.
so what can we learn?
perhaps it's that we are not as strong as we believed.
maybe it's that being kind and making this earth a better place is more valuable than followers and how many points we have (i call money points bc that's honestly what it is). maybe it's to respect nature for the force that it truly is.
perhaps it's to simply sit and be.
maybe it's to appreciate the beauty of going out to dinner with your loved ones.
perhaps it's to make life more sacred and celebrate more.
perhaps it's the necessary beauty of staying home and sitting with the things we can no longer distract ourselves from.
our shadows.
our fears.
our hopes and dreams.
i hope that it's all of the above.
because when it comes down to it, we are a species at the mercy of chaos. i imagine the earth is breathing a sigh of relief to see us finally respect it out of our desperation for once.
may we allow this pandemic to quiet us.
to rethink of our long accepted ways of being.
may we sit with what unsettles us and listen with curiosity.
may we play games with loved ones.
may we hear stories and share our own.
may we listen to our bodies, exercise them, nourish them, rest them.
may we read and learn and write and create.
may we humbly thank nature and promise to do better.
what a unique opportunity we have to be forced to quite literally be quarantined with our humanness. because we are not as big as we believe ourselves to be in the shadow of this tiny particle. we're not even as important as we believed. we are fragile things. what we do have is connection. we have the insanely incredible ability to create meaning out of chaos.
we have the ability to be kind and make the most out of this bizarre game we called life. it is entirely up to you on how you play it: if you give your supplies to others or save them for yourselves. if you take side quests to faraway lands or remain focused on a single mission. what abilities you choose to strengthen. how often you save and take a peek at the map to see how far you've come.
the game will end, as all games do, but when has the knowledge of a game ending ever kept you from playing?
so damn the systems we've created to make sense out of what cannot be understood, but can only be lived. damn the beliefs we've created on what makes us worthy or unworthy, beautiful or not, capable or not. when this pandemic is over, don't forget your humanness.
don't forget what something one-millionth the size of an inch did to the world.
and please, for the well being of the earth & all that's on it-- be kind, have fun & don't die.
-Brie
Beautifully written....like you